Skip to content Skip to main menu Skip to utility menu

SWB Brexit Bulletin – 25 October 2019

October 25, 2019

The EU Exit debates in parliament currently provide uncertainty over the date of leaving the EU. The NHS nationally and our organisation are continuing to prepare for the UK leaving the EU on 31 October with or without a deal.

Planning and monitoring

Our Trust has in place a planning group to check that arrangements are in place to ensure minimal disruption to supplies, food, fuel and medicines. This group reviews latest guidance that has been issued to the NHS in relation to data protection, arrangements for EU NHS staff, charging for overseas visitors, research studies and communication. From 31st October we will continue to monitor any disruption so that we can manage the situation and report issues to the regional and national NHS coordinating centres.

Managing the media during Brexit

Clearly, there is significant media attention on the impact of the UK departure from the EU. The impact on all public services, and particularly the NHS, will be subject to intense media scrutiny. Our media handling arrangements will continue to be followed as is current practise, and as a reminder:

  • Should you receive any requests from the media for information, or to attend our sites to talk to staff or patients you must refer this to our communications office via 0121 507 5303 or swbh.comms@nhs.net
  • We will all have personal views about the EU Exit and the media will be keeping a close eye on social media activity from staff in key organisations including NHS staff. Please be aware that views that you may consider personal, when put on social media, can receive significant attention and could receive wider coverage. As NHS employees, your views will be given wider significance and you must be clear that you are commenting in a personal capacity not on behalf of our Trust

Arrangements for medication supplies

At a national level, the Department for Health and Social Care has been working closely with the NHS, trade associations, pharmaceutical companies, suppliers of medical devices, and many others to help ensure medicines and medical products continue to be available after the UK leaves the EU.

What you should do:

  • Prescribe and dispense as normal: Doctors and pharmacists should explain to patients that they should continue to order their prescriptions as normal. Prescriptions covering longer durations than normally prescribed should be avoided. Prescription durations will be monitored and investigated where necessary.
  • Don’t stockpile locally: It is not helpful or appropriate for anyone to stockpile medicines locally – organisations stockpiling risks pressure on availability of medicines. Hospital stock levels will be monitored and over-ordering of medicines will be investigated.
  • There is also information for patients on NHS.uk/Brexit-medicine

Medical devices, clinical and non-clinical supplies to the NHS

Similar arrangements to medicine supplies are in place nationally for devices and other suppliers. Our Trust has reviewed all local arrangements and sought assurance over stock and transport so that any disruption is minimised.

if you have a concern about a consumable or device that your service relies on, please contact our Senior Responsible Office, Toby Lewis at tobylewis@nhs.net

NHS Workforce

Measures have been put in place to ensure EU staff are able to continue living and working in the UK after the UK’s departure from the EU. This commitment stands however the UK leaves the EU.

  • If you are an EU citizen legally resident in the UK at exit day, then your employment contract will not change and you will have no problem carrying on working as you do now. If you have not already done so, you are encouraged to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.
  • The EU Settlement Scheme is open to all EU citizens, including NHS staff, and can allow you to gain ‘settled’ or ‘pre-settled status’.
  • Legislation has been put into place that continues to recognise EEA and Swiss qualifications. If you are registered with the General Medical Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council, General Pharmaceutical Council, General Dental Council, or Health and/or Care Professions Council, your registration will continue after the UK leaves the EU, regardless of whether a deal is agreed.
  • There will be no need for any change to existing employment contracts if the UK leaves the EU without a deal and therefore no question of EU staff needing to reapply for their own jobs because of EU Exit.

Reciprocal healthcare and cost recovery

If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, the current reciprocal healthcare arrangements should continue as now until the end of 2020.

Should the UK leave without a deal, then those EU citizens who are ordinarily resident in the UK remain entitled to the same access to NHS care as previously.

The core questions that are asked of all patients currently should continue to be asked and, where necessary, information passed to the overseas visitor team. For more detail please go to https://connect2.swbh.nhs.uk/governance/overseas-visitors-team/

UK nationals travelling to the EU and EU citizens visiting the UK, who may previously have relied on EHIC cards, should obtain appropriate travel insurance.

Do you have a concern or question?

Please contact our senior responsible office for the EU Exit, Toby Lewis, on tobylewis@nhs.net